Chapter 4

Scarlett POV

Ignoring the pain, I held a feverish Leo and hid in the cold storage room, wiping his body repeatedly with alcohol swabs, trying to cool him down with basic physical methods.

The medicine was gone; this was all I could do.

"Mommy..."

Leo murmured in his sleep, his little hand clutching my shirt, "Am I... going to die?"

A scalding tear fell onto the child's equally scorching forehead.

My heart shattered beyond repair.

Just then, my phone rang.

It was Mr. Davies, the Vance family's housekeeper.

James had sent someone to rush me to the Vance family's grand estate for their Christmas gala.

On the phone, Mr. Davies' voice was cold, devoid of emotion. "Mr. Vance instructed that you must wear heavy makeup to cover your illness. Don't look like you're half-dead at the gala; it's bad luck."

Bad luck.

In front of his family, I wasn't even allowed to show a hint of weakness or illness.

I was merely a decoration, expected to be perpetually poised and radiant, to adorn the Vance family's facade.

I glanced down at Leo, who was breathing faintly in my arms, and had no choice.

I had to go.

Only by going could I receive the annual cash gift the Vance family gave to their wives.

It was a considerable sum.

With that money, I could buy medicine for Leo through underground channels.

I hardened my heart, entrusted Leo to a trusted part-time nanny, and went to the gala alone.

The Vance estate was brightly lit, filled with guests, clinking glasses, and laughter.

Everyone wore polite smiles, exchanging insincere well wishes.

I felt like a puppet, numbly following James, enduring countless gazes that scrutinized and evaluated me.

Halfway through the gala, James, in front of everyone, took out a velvet box.

He personally opened it, revealing a dazzling set of ruby jewelry.

He didn't look at me. Instead, he walked straight to Serena, who was seated nearby.

He personally fastened the necklace around her neck. "This set of jewelry suits you perfectly."

Immediately, a chorus of envious praises erupted.

"Mr. Vance truly holds a candle for Ms. Hayes. All these years, she's still the only one in his heart."

"Yeah, the official Mrs. Vance looks pretty terrible right now."

The voices were not loud, but clear enough to pierce my ears.

I stood there, like a clown publicly executed, enduring everyone's mockery and pity.

But the pain in my heart had long gone numb.

Finally, it was time for the cash gifts to the younger generation.

James walked up to me, a formal smile on his face, and slipped a thin envelope into my hand.

The envelope was so light it felt weightless.

My fingers trembled uncontrollably.

I retreated to an empty corner and opened the envelope.

There was no check, no bank card.

Only a few crumpled bills and a pamphlet for birth control pills.

That piece of paper felt like a resounding slap, hitting me hard across the face.

Utter humiliation.

He was using this method to tell me:

He saved my life years ago, and I "schemed" my way into the Vance family.

Now, everything he did was merely repaying the kindness I had "exploited."

He didn't even want me to "scheme" for another child.

He didn't know.

Three years ago, I had already given birth to his son.

"Scarlett, don't complain it's too little."

Serena had approached me without me noticing, waving a high-value check, her smile bold and triumphant.

"James is doing this for your own good, afraid you'll waste money. After all, people like us who can help his career are simply worth more than those who are just kept at home."

Every word was a stab to the heart.

Just then, my phone vibrated violently.

It was the nanny calling.

Her voice was choked with tears, almost frantic. "Ms. Reid! It's terrible! Leo... he's coughing up blood and has collapsed!"

BOOM.

My mind went instantly blank.

I cared about nothing else; I turned and ran out.

"Stop!"

James grabbed my wrist, his eyes icy.

"What game are you playing now? In this kind of setting, who are you performing for?"

In his eyes, I was always just trying to get attention.

"Let go of me!"

My voice was shrill, completely off-key. "Leo is in trouble!"

"How many times are you going to pull this stunt?"

His face was full of mockery and disbelief.

Guests around us looked over, whispering and pointing.

I looked at his cold face, all explanations stuck in my throat.

I knew.

He wouldn't believe me.

The next second, I did something that shocked everyone.

My legs gave out, and I fell to my knees in front of him, in full view of everyone.

The cold, hard floor dug painfully into my knees.

I didn't care about anything else.

I bowed my head towards him, slamming my forehead hard against the ground.

The sound of my forehead hitting the floor was dull and desperate.

"Please, let me go."

My voice was hoarse, tinged with blood.

"After this...I'll do anything you ask."

My dignity.

My pride.

In that moment, I ground them to dust with my own hands.

I wanted nothing.

I only wanted my Leo to live.